Common Sense Media Review
By Jan Carr
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Kids easily grasp opposites through bold, stylized art.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
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Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
BIG BEAR little chair is a collection of opposites, of big things compared with little things. There's a thin thread of a story with recurring bear characters Big Bear and little bear. Big Bear is first paired with a little chair (he doesn't fit!), and little bear tries to climb onto Big Chair (too high!). Spoiler alert: At the end, they find their just-right chairs. Most of the pairings stand alone. Some are realistic and natural, such as little fish/Big Sea, and others, such as Big Zebra/little broom and Big Lion/little wagon, have a silly quality kids will enjoy. Partway through the book, author Boyd stirs a third concept -- "tiny" -- into the pot.
Is It Any Good?
This New York Times Best Illustrated book is ideal for teaching young kids the concepts of big and little -- and just for having fun, too. Each page pairs something big with something little, and the juxtapositions are sometimes moodily cosmic (Big Moon/little star) and sometimes happily silly (little umbrella/Big Bird). Because there's very little text, kids can chime in and "read along" from the start.
Kids will enjoy the recurring bear characters who come back looking for the chairs that fit them, and all the characters return at the end for a curtain call ("tiny stories ... everywhere!"). The art, in black, white, gray, and red, is bold and preschool-friendly, and one additional appeal of the book is its unusual trim size. It's long, narrow, and fun to hold, reminding us that this is a story about size.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about big and little. What things can you think of that are big, little, and tiny?
Do some things that seem big to you seem big to grown-ups? Do some things that are little to them seem little to you? How do Big Bear and little bear experience things differently?
What other opposites can you think of?
Book Details
- Author: Lizi Boyd
- Illustrator: Lizi Boyd
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Science and Nature , Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Chronicle Books
- Publication date: October 6, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 3 - 5
- Number of pages: 36
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
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